LCT, Dr Doug Wilson honored at NZBIO

Dr Wilson rose to become the head of Boehringer Ingelheim Clinical Research Institute, overseeing all clinical research worldwide for the company. He then became head of medicine and regulatory affairs worldwide, based in Germany, overseeing all the research programmes for the company and all interactions with the European Medicines Evaluation Agency (EMEA).

NZBIO also saluted emerging talent in the bioscience sector. The emerging company of the year must be less than five-years-old and have a product pipeline and a development strategy, among other criteria. The young biotechnologist of the year is awarded to someone under 40-years-old whose work demonstrates the potential for future leadership in New Zealand's bioeconomy.

The emerging company of the year was awarded to Biotelliga. The judges commented that Biotelliga shows strong links between its science, the industry sector and consumers' needs in an important area of the New Zealand economy.

Biotelliga, which is based at Pukekohe near Auckland, develops and produces biological, sustainable, non-chemical based crop spray solutions for the effective management and control of pests and diseases in agriculture and horticulture.

The young biotechnologist for 2013 was awarded to Hywel Griffiths from Photonz, an Auckland-based company that produces the omega-3 fatty acid eicosapentaenoic acid from its primary source, marine microalgae. EPA is a critical ingredient in regulated pharmaceutical products and medicinal foods addressing cardiovascular disease.